First report of a rare snake eel, Allips concolor McCosker, 1972 (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Indian waters

Abstract

The monospecific genus Allips is reported here for the first time from Indian waters, from a specimen collected from the sea grass bed outside the Nalban bird Sanctuary, Chilika lagoon, India, with its morphometric characters, vertebrae and teeth pattern. The rare small eye snake eel A. concolor was earlier described by McCosker, 1972 on the basis of a single specimen. After that, there are very rare reports on this particular species especially on its morphometry after McCosker (1972). This paper extends the range of A. concolor McCosker, 1972 from eastern Andaman Sea and Northern Territory, Australia to Indian waters. A detailed discussion on the distribution and habitat is also provided in this paper.